Apparatus for boring oil and artesian wells.



E. E. GREVE. APPARATUS r03 BORING OIL AND ABTESIAH WELLS.

APYLIGLTIOH FILED JULY 22,1912.

Patente A? v v.

wi/tmaooeo mass erases earner; can s EDGAR E. GBBVE, 0F PITTSBURGH, IPENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO OIL SUPPLY CDHIIAIIY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A GORFORATIQN (1F PENNSYLVANIA.

arranaros res screws on; m) anrnsmn wan s,

mentalit at, this;

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EDGAR E. Gnsvn, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Boring Oil and Artesia n Veils; and I do hereby declare the followlng to be a, full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates'ito the construction of that class of devices commonly employed in boring oil and Artesian wells wherein the boring or drilling tool is detachably connected with its stem. r

The invention is more especially directed to what is known as hydraulic boring for deep wells wherein a tubular sectional stem is employed and a flow of water through the stem and boring tool is employed to remove the detritus.

The general construct-ion of this classof devices includes a stem comprised of threaded sections connected by threaded couplings, the lower section of-the stem being pro vided with a threaded drill collar to which the drill or boring tool is secured by. a threaded connection.

In drilling or boring with this class of devices, when the rotary method is followed, it frequently-occurs that the drill or hit, or

' the drill collar with the drill or bit, becomes detached leading to a troublesome and often expensive fishing job to recover the detached parts and with possibly ultimate loss A of the well. Also, in the case of hydraulic boring apparatus where a tubular drill stem is used and water is pumped down therethrough to remove the detritus from the ing that the bit or the drill-collar is likely to become detached, and second to provide means for preventing the plugging of the bit when back pressure occurs.

flo this end one feature of my invention embraces the'combin'ation with the bit-and stem of a drill toohof'al valve forerresting the flow of water, said valve being actuated from the bit and drill-collar. f

A second feature. of my invention embraces the combination with thedrillstem and bit, of a valve actuated by backfpressure in the well to prevent {the detritus'plug'ging the bit. p f g There are other, minor, 'featurespf inven tion' involving particular combinations and elemental features of construction, ancillary which will hereinafter more fully appear.

In the drawings chosen for the purposeof illustrating my invention, the scope whereof .to the main features of invention, all of tuclinal central section. l ig.2is a det-ached perspect ve viewof the valve which isv actuated from the-drill bikordrill-collar Fig. 3 is a detached uview 'in elevation, of the valve seat. for, the-valve shown-1 in Fig.1.. ,2,

also showing the valve. whichhis closed by back pressure inthe well. Fig. a top or plan view. of the'valve seat shownin Fig. 3. Fig.- 5.-isan edge viewof the bit, taken at right angles to" the bitshownin Like symbols refer to like partswherever they occur; I

I will now proceed'to describe my invention more fully so that others skilled in the art to which it appertains may apply the same.

In the drawings, A indicates the lower sec- .tion of a tubular drillstem, A the section of the stem next above, A the coupling which connects the sections A, A- of the stem, B the drill-collar on the lower end of lower section A'fiand Othe bit, the threaded shank 0 of which is screwed into'the'bit collar B.

'D, D indicate ports or passages extend- Ell carries the drill collar B and bit C.

stem sections A and lower section A which This disk 1 is phrforatcd centrally as at 1 to afford passage for water in case of a hydraulic boring device, and to constitute an upper valve seat 2 for valve 5, and a lower valve seat 3 for valve 8. The disk 1 is also provided on its upper surface with studs 1 that a wrench may be used to. insert the disk into and remove it from the coupling A On its under surface the dislri is provided with a plurality of studs'or pins 1, preferabl tour, which serve as guides or stems for t e back pressure valve 8.

4 indicates a rod whereby an operative connection is established between the bit C, drill-collar B and the valve 5 which controls the downward flow of water through the drill stem. This rod 4 is connected at its lower end with the bit 0 through the medium of a swivel 6 and eye bolt 6 said bolt having a left hand thread, ;or thread the reverse of that which connects the stem sections, drill-collar and bit. The upper end of rod 41,. which carries the valve 5, is perforated as at 4 with a series of holes for the pin 7 which carries the valve 5.

The valve 5, which is preferably hemishperical, is perforated for the passage of rod 4-and is adjustably connected to rod t by means of eye bolts "1' screwed into the upper surface of the valve 5 and through which-eye-bolts the pin 7 passes.

7", 7 indicate collars on pin 7, and 7, 7 set screws for holding pin 7 in proper relation to red 4 and valve 5. It is intended that this valve 5 shall be drawn down on its seat by any movement of the bit C or drill collar B which tends to detach said parts or either of them from the section A of the drill stem. As illustrated in the drawing the valve 5 will be drawn down on its seat when the shank of the bit has moved out of the drill-collar for one half the length of the thread of the bit shank, or the drill-collar B has moved down an equivalent dis tance on the lower section A of the stem. The extent of movement of the bit on the drill-collar or the drill-collar on the stem which shall seat valve 5 is not material, and is left to the discretion of the constructor, but as the length of the lower stem sections A may vary, the series of pin holes 4:" in the upper end of rod 4 has been provided that any required adjustment of valve 5 on rod 4: may be made. drawn down on its seat by the change in the relation of bit and stem, the arrest of the flow of Water through the stem thereby caused will cause the pumps to shut down, thus Warning the operator that the bitor drill collar is loose and there is a necessity for pulling out the drill.

8 indicates the back-pressure valve which is suspended from the under side of the disk The valve 5 having been.

wearer 1. The back-pressure valve 8 is in the form of a disk having openings for the passage of the rod 4, and the studs or pins 1 on the under side-of disk 1, The rod l and pins l. pass through the valve disk 8 with a moving fit and the back-pressure valve is prevented from escaping by nuts N and jam nuts n or their equivalents.

The construction of the apparatus being substantially such as hereinbefore pointed out, it will operate as follows: Assuming the several parts of the apparatus to occupy the relation to each other indicated in Fig. 1 of the drawing, during the operation of the hydraulic drill the water delivered by the pumps will flow down through the tubular stem A around valve 5,'through the valve seat in disk 1, around back-pressure valve 8 down through lower stem section A and thence out through passages D, D in the bit, into the bore of the well whence it will move upward carrying with it the detritus. If new in operating by the rotary method either the bit or the drill-collar begin to unscrew from the stern and become detached therefrom such movement will draw the valve 5 down on its seat and close the tubu lar drill stem above section A and coupling A which will cause the pumps to shut down, thus signaling the operator that something is wrong with the drill. If at any time during the drilling operation a gas pocket is opened the badk pressure from the pocket will, if sufiiciently strong, reverse the current and force the detritus through the ports or passages D, D inthe shank of bit C. This, it not prevented, will result in plugging the bit, and compel the withdrawal of the bit from the well with attendant labor and loss of time. Under such circumstances, however, with the construction hereinbefore set forth, the back pressure and reversed means for actuating the valve by a relative movement of the bit and stem.

2. In apparatus for drilling wells, the combination of a bit, a tubular stern therefor, a valve located in the tubular stem, and

means for connecting thevalve and bit.

3. In an apparatus for drilling wells, the combination of a bit, a tubular stem therefor, a valve located in the tubular stem, and. a rod having a loose connection with the bit for connecting the valve and bit.

4:. In an apparatus for drilling wells, the combination ofa bit, a tubular stem there- 5. In an apparatus for drilling Wells, the

combination of a bit, a tubular sectional stem therefor, a valve located in the tubular stem, means for connecting the valve-with the bit, 'and means for adJusting the valve to change the distance between the bit and valve:

6. In an apparatus for drilling wells, the

combination of a bit, a tubular sectional stem therefor, a coupling for the stem sections, a valve seat interposed between the sections of the tubular stem, a valve located in the tubular stem, and means for actuating the valve by a relative movement of the bit and stem.

7. In apparatus for drilling wells, the combination of a tubular stem, a back pressure valve arranged in the stem said valve having an opening therethrough, a bit, means for preventing the separation of bit and stem said means extending through the opening in the valve, and movable means for limiting the movement of the means which prevents the separation of the stem and bit.

8. In apparatus for drilling wells, the combination of a tubular stem, valve seats arranged therein, a bit, a back pressure valve having an opening therethrough a valve for preventing the downward flow of fluid in the stem and means for actuating the last named valve by a relative movement of the bit and stem, said means extending through the opening in the back pressure valv 9. In a device of the character described, the combination with a well casing, of a hit, a water controlling valve, and means for connecting said bit and said valve adapted to'eause a closing of said valve when said bit is broken from the casing.

10. In a device of the character described, the combination with a rotary casing provided with a bit at the lower end, of means actuated by the bit when broken from the casing for giving an indication of that fact at the top of the casing.

In testimony whereof I aflix my si ature, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EDGAR E. GREVE.

Witnesses:

B. S. MATHI N, F. V. FLYNN. 

